Fashion's Night Out

trouve blouse. rag&bone jeans. pour la victoire heels. chanel handbag.

aqua necklace.
custom ring (left).
Garnett & mom's
rose gold band (right)

Last night was the worldwide Fashion's Night Out event. It was the third year the event was held, but my first time attending. Definitely this year I felt and heard such a strong buzz for Fashion's Night Out, I can’t even imagine how much bigger it’s going to get in the future. I decided to go to Merrick Park in Coral Gables for the Neiman Marcus event, which was pretty awesome. Among other sponsors it was hosted by Grey Goose with numerous open bars on each floor of Neiman Marcus. There was also a runway show, and a DJ in the middle of the runway playing the best music the whole time during the event. I had an amazing time and I am so happy I decided to be a part of the evening. I got to meet fellow blogger and Miami writer Annie Vazquez, who I have been a fan of for some time now. She was the sweetest even interviewing me on my purchase that I made during the event, and my outfit for a street style column. Look out for my interview on miami.com and her blog http://thefashionpoet.com/. I saw a great fashion show and got to the spend the evening with good friends at one of my favorite stores in Miami. All in all I would say the night was a huge success and I am already looking forward to next year.

karina. myself. kaki & nani from N&K Designs: http://www.nkdesignsonline.com/





karina. myself. veronica. and michelle from bella vida:  http://michellearean.wordpress.com/bella-vida-blog-2/





annie:  http://thefashionpoet.com/ & i



tory burch purchase - thank you for the interview :)



runway show finale



Austin - ACL

From top left:
Keds Champion Animal: revolveclothing.com
Lace Shoulder Peasant top: forever21.com
Zipper Back Lace Top: forever21.com
Torn by Ronny Kobo Dress: shopbop.com
Long Ruffle Cardigan Sweater: victoriassecret.com
All Bracelets: forever21.com
Wide Brim Hat: forever21.com
7 for all mankind The Skinny Jeans: shopbop.com
Splendid Supima Tank Dress: shopbop.com
James Perse Long Racer Back Tank: shopbop.com
Coal Simone Floppy Hat: urbanoutfitters.com
Feathers & Fringe Scarf: madewell.com
Tory Burch Pierson Canvas Backpack: shopbop.com
Deepa Gurnani Crystal & Pearl Headband: shopbop.com
Kelsi Dagger Riding Boot: victoriassecret.com
Stripped Contrast Top: forever21.com
Denim Cutoffs: forever21.com

In exactly one week I will be in the airport about to board a plane to AUSTIN!!! I am beyond excited to be traveling to a new city. Even better I am going with four of my closest girlfriends, and I already know its going to be an amazing trip. The main purpose of the trip is to attend the Austin City Limits music festival. Some of us have three-day passes; I have a one day pass to Friday’s festival. I decided to go on Friday because I am a huge fan of the lineup, especially performers Kanye West, Coldplay, and Foster the People, all headlining on Friday. (Yes you are allowed to be jealous!) I will still have lots of time to explore all that Austin has to offer such as the "weird" culture, delicious food, and live music scene. What to pack for an all day music festival you ask? Well nothing that you don’t want to get ruined, were going to be there all day, and for hours! In the Austin heat, so this is what I have in mind for the trip. Easy, simple, casual clothes, jean shorts, ripped jeans, tank tops, light open cardigans, flowy simple dresses, a chic backpack, funky jewelry, riding boots, and of course the most popular accessory right now a floppy hat. "Keep Austin Weird"

http://www.aclfestival.com/

Sunny

bcbgmaxazria romper. boutique 9 sandals. louis vuitton handbag. rayban sunglasses. loehmans necklace.

Labor Day in Miami is especially HOT! I took full advantage of my long weekend by having some fun, but also taking it easy and relaxing. I caught up with some old friends that i had not seen in little while, at an especially hot outdoor brunch. The only things that made it bearable were the super breezy romper in the photos, and the very chilled mimosas. It was a delightful Sunday, the best part being that Monday was a holiday, of course. I hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend whether you had a little staycation (like myself) or had a mini getaway elsewhere.

bcbgmaxazria romper.
now on sale found here: http://www.revolveclothing.com/DisplayProduct.jsp?product=BCB-WP2&c
boutique 9 phiona flat sandal.
found here: http://www.endless.com/



Louis Vuitton NEVERFULL GM
found here: http://www.louisvuitton.com/us/flash/index.jsp?direct1=home_entry_us

Fusilli with Chicken Sausage, Artichokes & Sun Dried Tomatoes

My Very First Recipe Post! Let's Start with some Wine, Herb Salami & Ricotta Salata

This is a "recipe" I have been cooking for years now. It originally started from a recipe I got from foodnetwork.com and belong to Giada De Laurentiis (one of my food idols). Since then I have transformed this recipe a zillion times cooking it over and over again, because of this I felt safe enough to make it my first recipe post! I love cooking and I always have, I taught myself how to cook watching the food network and have used my family as guinea pigs ever since. They seem to enjoy everything I cook and ask me to cook for them often (so I know they can’t be lying!)

What you will need: 

1 box (16 oz.) Fusilli pasta - I prefer wheat

1 pound sausage - today I used a combination of chicken links 2 mild, 1 spicy. (I have also used ground turkey breast in the past.)

6 oz. Artichoke Hearts in oil

6 oz. Sun Dried Tomatoes in oil

4 oz. (about- it’s really to taste) ricotta cheese - I use part skim

3 cloves (to taste) of garlic

Shredded pecorino romano cheese (to taste)

Place a pot of water on the stove top at high and begin to boil

While water is coming to a boil, on a large cooking pan slide out the chicken sausage from the casing and sear on medium heat. (I don’t use any butter or oil, the sausage has natural oil that will release while cooking, and in the next step I use some of the oil marinade from the artichoke hearts)

Separate the chicken sausage using a wooden spoon. While sausage is cooking, chop the artichoke hearts, and once the chicken sausage is seared through add chopped artichokes to pan. Also add some of the oil from the artichoke's can to the mixture. At this point also add the chopped garlic.

 

Chop the sun dried tomatoes and add to the mixture, also adding some of the oil marinade from the can. 

(all to taste)

At this point the pasta water should be boiling, add to taste the amount of salt you would like, and then add the pasta. I normally throw in about the entire box and then visually add as much as would like to the mixture after boiled. (Really depends if you want more pasta than mixture or more mixture than pasta)

While pasta is boiling add roughly (to taste) 4 large tablespoon of ricotta cheese to the mixture of chicken sausage, artichoke hearts, and sun dried tomatoes, mix in allowing the ricotta to blend.

Once pasta has boiled add to the large pan and mix everything together. At this point I normally taste to make sure there is enough of each ingredient. Today I added a little more ricotta and mixed again.

 

Place in a large serving bowl, add the pecorino romano cheese and enjoy!

I hope you all enjoyed my first recipe post. I will be trying to do as many as I can from now. Remember cooking should be fun. Allow yourself to experiment. I follow recipes as a template to my final dish and always play around with the ingredients to add or take away what I like and enjoy eating. Don’t be scared of the kitchen! Always start with a good glass of wine it makes the whole experience much more relaxing and fun. My mom and I took all the pictures while we enjoyed one of my favorite Cabernet Sauvingnons from Robert Modavi. Maybe you can try this over the long week. Happy Labor Day!

Remember Me in Your Dreams



There are specific things a girl should always dream about, just in case one of her wildest dreams comes true she's prepared. Have you ever heard those stories about new millionaires and lottery winners who drastically deplete their winnings because they get overwhelmed and don’t know what to spend their money on, so they spend it on everything? That is exactly why a girl needs to be prepared, with let's say a wish list of the lavish items she would purchase in case let's say she won the lottery, marries a prince, writes a best selling novel that gets turned into a blockbuster movie. I mean these things can happen! Just look at Kate Middleton, and Julie Powell (author of Julie & Julia blog which later became a movie). So here it is in case one day one of my wildest dreams comes true, these are some of the things I would buy for myself. Some classics I’ve wanted for years such as the gold Rolex, the Cartier bracelet, and ysl tributes. The others luxe expensive things I would buy if I could (but I can’t) fancy dresses, swanky ipad cases, and designer handbags. (I know some might judge me for lusting over such trivial ridiculously expensive items, but that's fine, it is OK I can handle it because everyone’s entitled to day dream over whatever they would like to.)

Starting From Top Left Corner:
Eugenia Kim Gabriella Portait Fedora $341 (shopbop)
Diane von Furstenberg Paddie Zip Canvas Case for iPad $150 (saks)
Giuseppe Zanotti Ankle-Wrap Suede Platform Pump $695 (neimans)
Elizabeth and James Military Parka with Fur Trim $1,150 (shopbop)
Rolex price upon request (mayors)
Cartier Love Bracelet $5,500 (cartier)
Chloe Paratay Large Tote Bag $2,395 (saks)
Thick Leather Pave Pyramid $165 (noir)
YSL Cabas Chyc East West Satchel $1,895 (saks)
Kaelen Corina Strapless Pleated Dress $1,125 (shopbop)
Tibi Metallic Jacquard Sleeveles Dress $440.00 (shopbop)
YSL Tribute High Heel Sandal in Nude $795.00 (YSL)

A Friend Of Yours



from etsy seen at refinery29.com
www.refinery29.com/new-wrist-candy-your-friends-will-envy



can be found on etsy.com by latchcollection for $50

www.etsy.com/listing/76931075/gold-over-sized-custom-handmade-woven



  

similar "knock-off" (not quite as pretty)
found on forever21.com for $4.80

www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=acc%5Fbracelet&product%5Fid=1000026631&variant%5Fid=021&showBACK=OK

Friendship bracelets have been all the rage recently, especially in the last couple of months. Ever since this #armparty revolution started I feel as though friendship bracelets are everywhere. I can picture myself now I'm in middle school organizer in hand, which back then was one of my most treasured possessions, spending hours making these bracelets with my friends.. We would sit literally for hours before school, in between classes, and after school threading bracelets together and making these bracelets that today can be found anywhere from as low as $4.80 on to as high as $100 and more. If only I would have stuck to my hobby, but of course with time either my hobby faded or i made new friends. Unfortunately, present day I can barely remember how I use to make the bracelets and would not even attempt do it because I know it would take a ridiculous amount of time. They also wouldn't be nearly as pretty the ones I am sharing with you all today.

www.noirjewelry.com/ for $25.00



as seen here




next purchase

 

The Hunger Games

 

"We’re fickle, stupid beings with poor memories and a great gift for self-destruction." mockingjay

I do not remember the exact reason why I started reading the Hunger Games trilogy, but I do remember that once I did all I heard from friends was how much I was going to love the books and the characters, how hooked I was going to become, and how depressed I would be when I finished. I've never really been a fan of young-adult science-fiction fantasy, such as harry potter and twilight. Never read the books and never even felt a tiny urge to read them, I saw one of the twilight movies and that’s about it. So I began hunger games not sure if I was really going to get into it, or be bored and drop the series. I have to say I was completely blown away and the trilogy surpassed every single expectation I had. You begin reading Hunger Games and you are immediately thrown into the suffering and barely surviving world of district 12, the poorest of all the districts. Its the time of the annual reaping, the reaping is an annual event that takes place in every district before each Hunger Games. This is when the tributes of the upcoming Games are chosen. The tributes are one male and one female from each district ages 12 to 18. The second I finished the chapter about the reaping I knew I was not going to be able to put this book down until I finished, and for the most part I didn’t. The books are gruesome, sad, and violent, but genuine and a real story of what could be the consequences of war. I could not help but think throughout the series how kids in high school were reading these books? Yes, it’s that violent. It’s definitely nothing I would have read when I was in high school. I mean the books gave me nightmares; I can’t imagine the effect they would have had on me if I would have read them at 16. Behind the sadness, the violence, and the frustration you feel while reading about how the capital is making children kill each other for entertainment there’s a love story. Well a love triangle, and the beautiful story of Katniss. Katniss, the girl on fire, this 16 year old had to become the sole protector and provider for her family, basically raising her little sister by herself, while her mom was suffering through deep depression. I don’t want to give too much away, but it is a trilogy and every trilogy has its main star, it’s very obvious that star is Katniss. You have to know she is going to survive the 74th Annual Hunger Games before you even start reading the book. What you don’t know is everything else that is going to happen. Everything else this young girl is going to change for the rest of time, most of it without even meaning to. How her actions and her way of surviving are going to change the entire post-apocalyptic world that she lives in, known as Panem.

Katniss’s story really touched me and this is because it’s a story of survival. It is a story about fighting back against the all powerful, and the very wealthy, to make a better life yourself, and your family. Even if you are only a young adult and think you can’t better yourself, this character makes you realize that you can. The books in my opinion have been so successful because they revolve around themes that we can all familiarize with, from war, to loyalty, to love, to survival. It's a book that I think anyone of any age can relate to, from high school to adult. The first movie of three has already starting filming and is set to premiere March 23, 2012. For me personally this feels so far away. I completely fell in love with the characters of Katniss, Peeta, and even buttercup. I’ve been online trying to find a new book to start reading since last week and I just feel as though nothing is going to compare. This is the beauty of reading, and I know I will find another book and more characters to love. For now, at least I have the movies to look forward to, and please please please leave everything as it is in the books. I can’t express how disappointed I will be if that doesn’t happen.

"Katniss will pick whoever she thinks she can't survive without." mockingjay

This Sunday the first very small clip of the Hunger Games was released and you can see it here for yourself (its very short! too short!):

http://www.mtv.com/videos/movie-trailers/686022/the-hunger-games.jhtml#id=1669822

I also frequently visit http://www.myhungergames.com/ for all up to the moment upcoming news regarding the movies. It is where i found out what actors were casted, they also have possible official movie posters, and all the places you can check out interviews with the cast of  The Hunger Games.